Never returned while court was in recess
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado Springs man who fled a courthouse while a jury deliberated sex assault charges against him has been found.
Police say 23-year-old Theodore "Theo" William Griffin left the El Paso County courthouse Tuesday while jurors deliberated. He was convicted but didn't return to court to hear the verdict.
Griffin was nabbed in a traffic stop in Colorado Springs on Wednesday night. He has been convicted of three counts of sexual assault on a child for having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Griffin now awaits sentencing.
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Original story
Colorado Springs Police Department seeks assistance from the public in helping to locate Theodore "Theo" William Griffin III, 23, of Colorado Springs after he left the courthouse on Tuesday afternoon.
Griffin was on a bond and present during Fourth Judicial District court proceedings in a trial where he was the defendant in a sexual assault on a child case. While court was in recess and the jury deliberating on a verdict, Griffin left the courthouse and never returned.
He was subsequently found guilty on three counts of sexual assault on a ch ile and is presented wanted on a no-bond felony warrant in the case, as well as two misdemeanor warrants for a traffic offense and obstruction of a police offider.
Griffin is described as a black male, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes.
In addition to being sought for these criminal matters, CSPD is also concerned for the welfare of Griffin, as he made suicidal reference when he was contacted by phone by his defense attorney after he failed to return to court.
Griffin was last seen wearing a blue suit and was in the area of Platte Avenue and Galley Road around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5. He has no vehicle.
Anyone with information about Griffin or his whereabouts is asked to call CSPD at 719-444-7000 or Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP (7867).
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